A 47-year-old Nigerian man, Frederick, has lost his life after standing up to a school bus driver in Lagos who allegedly defiled his seven-year-old daughter.
He died on the school premises during a scuffle with the driver, identified as Jacob, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
Frederick along with his wife and daughter had gone to meet the school management to narrate how the seven-year-old was being allegedly sexually assaulted by Jacob and to seek immediate action.
But it led to a scuffle which cost Frederick his life. After he died, Jacob absconded from the scene, leading to a manhunt by the police.
Spokesman for the Lagos State police command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the incident to NAN and said the police were on the trail of the driver and would not relent until he was brought to justice.
Frederick’s widow had told NAN that her daughter narrated to her how Jacob had been taking her to his house at Ajuwon in Ogun to sexually molest her.
She said she narrated the girl’s account to husband and that he called the school and was asked to come so that the matter could be settled.
“On Wednesday, February 1, my daughter told me that her school bus driver had been taking her to his house at Ajuwon, on the pretext that he needed to drop something at home and that she should follow him.
“When they entered the house, the driver would ask my daughter to sit on his lap; to raise her school uniform and to kiss him on his mouth.
“I told my husband what our daughter said on Monday, February 6 and he immediately called the school to lodge a complaint and said he was also reporting the allegation to the police.
“He was told to come to the school first so we went there on Tuesday, February 7 and we met the school owner, the driver and some of the teachers.
“The school owner after listening to us; confronted the driver, saying that he had returned late with the school bus the previous week and when asked, he said he had gone to drop something at home.
“He was later asked about the allegations levelled against him, but he denied. My daughter was then asked and she narrated the same experience she told us at home.
“The driver couldn’t say anything other than to query: `me?’ ‘me?’ ‘me?’
“My husband who was visibly angry went to the driver and shouted at him to question why he had molested his daughter.
“My husband angrily slapped the driver and they started fighting during which he pushed my husband on his chest. He fell and efforts to revive him were abortive.
“We rushed him to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead,’’ the widow said.
She added that Jacob absconded after the incident and she subsequently reported the matter at Iju Police Station.
The director of the school declined to speak on the matter, saying that he was assisting the police to find Jacob.
